About Us

Our History

In 1977, after 10 years of playing football at the collegiate and professional levels, Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte decided to focus his leadership and team-building skills on a new business endeavor. He took a leap and signed a lease on the back of a cardboard box and opened the first Arizona Tile location in San Diego, California.

Forty years later - With hundreds of employees, nearly half of which have been with the company for over a decade, and many who have been with the company since the beginning, unparalleled customer service, and products from around the world - Arizona Tile has become one of the leading tile and slab distributors in the U.S. “Our success solely comes from the vision that John and (his wife) Eileen Huarte had for this company when starting it - the sensibility that our relationships with our customers and our fellow employees are the most important aspect of what we do,” said company President, Bob Traxler.

Our Founder

John Huarte, CEO and Owner of Arizona Tile, founded the company in 1977. Beginning with a small store in San Diego, California, the company has since grown to more than 25 locations in 7 western states. John and his wife, Eileen, have five children, including sons Matt and Mark and son-in-law Joe Kennedy, who are part of the Management Team and involved in the day-to-day management of the company.

Prior to founding Arizona Tile, John spent almost ten years playing football. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1964 as quarterback of the Fighting Irish. In 2006 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, he played professional football for eight years with Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Chicago in the NFL, as well as Memphis in the WFL, before retiring from professional sports in 1975.

In addition to his responsibilities as CEO, John is involved with several philanthropic organizations. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Trustees for St. John's Health Foundation in Santa Monica, California.

Our Team

Arizona Tile was founded on the concept that goodwill towards others, including our fellow employees, is good business. We are committed to supporting our employees in providing an outstanding experience for our customers. With many employees choosing to spend 10, 20 and 30 years of their career with us, we value the family we have created within our team members.

Executive Staff

John Huarte

John Huarte, CEO and Owner of Arizona Tile, founded the company in 1977. Beginning with a small store in San Diego, California, the company has since grown to more than 25 locations in 7 western states. John and his wife, Eileen, have five children, including sons Matt and Mark and son-in-law Joe Kennedy, who are part of the Management Team and involved in the day-to-day management of the company.

Prior to founding Arizona Tile, John spent almost ten years playing football. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1964 as quarterback of the Fighting Irish. In 2006 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, he played professional football for eight years with Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Chicago in the NFL, as well as Memphis in the WFL, before retiring from professional sports in 1975.

In addition to his responsibilities as CEO, John is involved with several philanthropic organizations. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Trustees for St. John's Health Foundation in Santa Monica, California.

CEO / Owner

Bob Traxler

Bob Traxler was named President of Arizona Tile in July of 1996. In this role, his primary focus includes leading the management team, focusing on branch location challenges and developing employees.

He joined the company in October 1979 and has served in numerous roles during his tenure. This includes working in the warehouse, at the order desk, in outside sales, as a Branch Manager, as a Regional Manager and as an Executive Vice President. While involved in many of the company's great successes since its inception just a couple of years prior to Bob's joining, one of his accomplishments includes developing the company's first computer system in the early 1980's. This system continued to be used by the company for 15 years.

Bob has spent the greater part of his career in the stone and tile industry. Prior to joining Arizona Tile he managed a small tile store and did estimating for a tile contracting family.

He graduated from Coleman College in San Diego in 1981 with a certificate in computer science software applications and systems design.
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President

Gary Skarsten

Gary Skarsten was named Executive Vice President, CFO in September 2003. In this role his responsibilities include real estate development, financial planning and management, as well as overseeing the Human Resources and Training department. He also works closely with the President and other members of management in setting overall policies and the direction of the company's operations.

Prior to his current role, he served as the company's Controller. Gary joined Arizona Tile in December 1987.

Before joining Arizona Tile, Gary worked in the tax department of the firm, McGladrey and Pullen.

His education includes a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Minnesota State University at Mankato.

Chief Financial Officer

Joe Kennedy

Joe Kennedy is a member of the Executive Management Team and serves as Executive Vice President. In his role, his responsibilities include overseeing Operations, Sales and Marketing functions.

Joe joined Arizona Tile in 2007 and previously served the company as a General Manager and Commercial Sales Representative. In those roles, his region was comprised of several areas in California including Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire and Palm Desert. As Regional Sales Manager, he managed all aspects of the Operations and Sales functions for day-to-day-operations in his region. As a son-in-law of the founders, John and Eileen Huarte, he spent many years learning about the company and industry, even prior to beginning his employment in 2007.

His business and marketing background includes serving in roles such as:

Senior Vice President, International Program Sales and Business Affairs: Discovery Communications

Vice President, International Program Sales, North America: International Television Enterprises Inc.

Junior Executive: J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency

Joe received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Executive Vice President

Matt Huarte

Matt Huarte was named Vice President of Business Development in September 2003. In this capacity he is responsible for the scouting, building and developing of new facilities. This includes all aspects of the locations: showrooms, slab yards and distribution centers.

He joined Arizona Tile in 1989 and has had a variety of responsibilities in various roles: Warehouse employee, Order Desk Personnel, Showroom Consultant, Outside Sales Representative, Regional Manager and Stone Division Manager.

As a son of the founders, John and Eileen Huarte, Matt spent many years learning about the company and industry, even prior to beginning his employment in 1989.

Additionally, Matt is the Manager of Esquera Development. The Huarte family, through various real estate partnerships and LLCs, has been involved in real estate investments since 1993 and currently owns fourteen commercial buildings and has interest in joint ventures in two commercial buildings.

Matt received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Diego and his J.D. from Lewis & Clark College Northwestern School of Law.

Vice President of Business Development

Mark Huarte

Mark Huarte was named Vice President of Operations in September 2003. In this role his responsibilities include overseeing the company's day-to-day operations for all locations, as well as improving the overall operating efficiencies.

He joined the company in July 1995 and has served in various capacities including warehouse employee, Warehouse Lead, Warehouse Manager, Order Desk Personnel and General Manager. As a son of the founders, John and Eileen Huarte, Mark spent many years learning about the company and industry, even prior to beginning his employment in July of 1995.

Mark received his Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration from University of San Diego.

Vice President of Operations

Beth Gaughan

Beth Gaughan was appointed Vice President of Sales in September 2003. In her role she leads the implementation of sales strategies in the field and showrooms including the management of eight Regional Sales Managers. She oversees the development of new showrooms, as well as the remodeling of existing showrooms and is involved with the development of new product lines. Beth guided the development and promotion of the National Builder Programs and is responsible for maintaining positive customer relations, which includes working with the Training department to design training outlines for Customer Service Representatives and Sales staff. Additionally, she oversees the function of the Sales Support Facility and the merchandising of product in Arizona Tile's, as well as customers', showrooms.

She previously served the company in various roles including Sales Manager, Outside Sales Representative and Showroom Consultant. Beth joined Arizona Tile in April 1987 as a Showroom Consultant.

Prior to Arizona Tile, Beth's career experience included managing a tennis pro shop and hockey rink for the Carriage Country Club in Kansas City.

She received her bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Vice President of Sales

Randy Morreim

Randy Morreim was named Vice President, Stone Division in September 2003. In this capacity he oversees the purchasing of natural stone slab and tile for Arizona Tile. This includes managing several of the company's overseas purchasing offices. Additionally, he works with branch managers, slab managers and the sales team to manage the stone product line, including pricing of these materials.

He previously served the company in numerous positions including General Manager, Branch Manager and initially, warehouse personnel. During this time, he spearheaded the company's entry into the granite slab business. Randy began his career at Arizona Tile in October 1981.

Randy attended Rochester Community College and Mesa Community College.

Vice President of Stone Division

Roy Kunihiro

Roy Kunihiro was named General Manager in 2009, after serving several years as the GM of the Stone Division. In his current role, he oversees sourcing and vendor relationships for stone and tile in Asia, Turkey and India. He also directly manages the office and staff in China, working closely with them to achieve premium product quality and design.

Roy joined Arizona Tile in 1999 and has been involved with product development since that time. He frequently travels to many countries throughout the world, searching for new products and suppliers.

Roy has been in the stone industry since 1979, when he worked for the largest trading firm in Japan, as a block inspector and later as a procurer of tile and slab.

General Manager of Stone Division

Don Kesteloot

Don Kesteloot was appointed Vice President of Finance in September 2003. In this role he manages the finances of the company including Budgeting, Credit, Banking and Insurance. He oversees these financial day-to-day operations, plus works with other members of the management team to plan and develop processes and procedures to grow the business.

His prior role for Arizona Tile was as Controller. Along with financial responsibilities, in that capacity he also supervised and managed the Human Resources and Information Technology departments. Don joined Arizona Tile in May 2000.

Before joining Arizona Tile, Don spent nine years with Joe E. Woods, Inc. General Contractor as a Controller and six years as an Audit Supervisor with McGladrey and Pullen Public Accounting.

Don received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona.

General Manager: Colorado

Darin Birschbach

General Manager: Utah

Mark Austin

General Manager: Texas

Visit Our Unique Showroom And Experience It For Yourself

Bring your home design inspiration to life. Stop in to see and touch extraordinary surfaces we've hand selected from around the world. Best of all, confer with our professionally trained design consultants to find the perfect fit for your home.

Our Quality

Every product we purchase must pass a detailed inspection before it is shipped to Arizona Tile and ultimately, our customers. All products undergo a rigid quality control process including both automated and human inspection, utilizing the most advanced technologies available in the market today.

Our Suppliers

Our years of experience in the international market allows us to select only the top suppliers with which to work. Our suppliers must adhere to the same ethics and quality standards we expect of ourselves.

Our Customers

Arizona Tile stocks an unparalleled breadth of inventory, thereby allowing us to provide exceptional service to our customers. Commercial developers, designers and architects look to us as a resource for technical information; while designers and builders entrust their clients to us. For customers, the experience we create while taking them through the selection process is the essence of Arizona Tile.